Woodbine: Help horse people and change your shipping policy

This year, Woodbine has decided to institute a policy that horses stabled at Woodbine may only ship to other racetracks TWICE (as of policy update July 15, 2017) unless the purses are over $20,000. This is a direct assault on the fellow racetrack in Fort Erie with lower-priced purses and a need for horses to fill races during it's short summer meet.

With only the two Thoroughbred tracks in Ontario, the new policy is another attempt at creating a monopoly for Woodbine. Horse owners should be able to ship their horses wherever and whenever they want.

The recent Woodbine policy decision will mean lost jobs in Fort Erie Racetrack with fewer horses racing, fewer tourists and fans will be going to the track, and wagering will be lowered. Also, the town and track will be hit needlessly and substantially.

Racetracks should all be on the same page in trying to preserve horse racing at this time. Sportsmanship and support needs to be foremost, rather than trying exclude and hurt another historic Ontario racetrack by instituting a greedy and hoarding policy on stabled horses. This can only hurt the entire horse racing community.